Mekakushi
by Natsumiya Teirin
Summary: All Yugi ever wanted was his brother's acceptance, but that's beginning to look like little more than a wish. When Atem gives Yugi a special puzzle that'd supposedly grant his wish, things look bright again. But nothing is what it seems, and Atem's intentions aren't entirely selfless. Blindshipping, eventual puzzleshipping. AU.
1. Chapter 1

The day Mutou Yugi was born, it was raining heavily as spring was drawing to a close. Looking back, Yami wondered if Mother Nature knew what was going to happen. She probably did.

Not that it mattered now. Mother was gone, and she wasn't coming back, and it was all _his_ fault.

Of course, Yami would never say that aloud- he'd never badmouth his little brother when he could be heard- but his disdain for Yugi still showed in his actions. He babysat him for father, but he never smiled at him, never gave him a warm touch or really any form of affection, and didn't care at all that the brat absolutely, obviously adored him.

"Nii-chan!"

The tiny two year old tried again to crawl onto the eight year old's lap. Yami easily blocked him and sighed, annoyed.

"Go away." His voice was cold.

"I'm busy reading."

"'Ee me?"

"No. Ask father."

The toddler pouted, but left anyway. Tou-san would read to him, but...he liked nii-chan's voice more than his.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

It was around that time Yami and Akhnamkanon realized there was something else wrong with Yugi besides his abnormally small size. The youngest Mutou was visually impaired. Yami didn't get all the details- and he didn't really care enough to- but from what he'd overheard between Ishizu-sensei and father, Yugi had lost all vision in his right eye, and unless something was done soon, he'd lose the vision in his left eye, as well. The ten year old didn't understand why father was so worried for the brat- it was his fault mother was gone, after all.

Whatever.

His father paid for laser eye-surgery, which left a dent in his wallet, and afterwards, Yami wondered why he bothered. The doctors screwed up, so instead of his eye being saved, it would just take longer for him to go blind. His vision would deteriorate gradually instead of all at once. Now they'd have to pay for increasingly expensive glasses and lenses prescriptions and Ra only knows what else.

What a waste of money.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

Yugi was six when he met Atem.

That day, Yami took him to the local park so he could play while he studied for an upcoming test. As much as Yugi wanted to spend time with his big brother- despite how cold he was towards him- he understood that Yami didn't like him- though he didn't understand why- and obediently went off to another part of the park so he wouldn't bother him.

He stayed away from the other kids (they liked making fun of his height, but not his glasses, for some reason) and sat down on the edge of the sandbox. He opened up the book he'd brought with him- _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_ \- and smiled as he began reading. He already knew he was going to go blind one day- it was just a feeling, and he put it together when he actually noticed his vision getting worse ( the words on Yoshimori-sensei's white board had just suddenly appeared fuzzy, even though he was wearing his glasses)- so until that day came, he wanted to use his eyes all he could, and in a world so cruel, what better way to use his eyes than to lose himself in fantasy books?

When Yami's cold demeanor became too much, this was his best method of absconding. He could even forget his inevitable blindness and pretend he was the hero in his books- indestructible and loved, with true _friends_ and a _family_ that actually cared. Nothing at all like weak, fragile, blind little Yugi...

"What's wrong?"

The small blond jumped, startled. He'd never heard anyone else come so close!

He turned towards the source of the voice and saw a person about the height of Yami- though everyone looked giant to him, so he could've been wrong- with hair identical to his, save for a few locks that stuck up, and skin much darker than his. He couldn't make out his eyes without their noses touching, and that would've been rude.

The dark-skinned boy looked at him and grinned sheepishly.

"Ah, sorry. Did I scare you? You looked really happy reading that book, but now you suddenly look so sad. Why's that?"

Yugi shook his head. He couldn't ask a total stranger to listen to his troubles.

"It's nothing," he assured, his voice soft and polite and reserved as it always was, " Ano...who are you?"

"I'm Atem, and I'm eight!" The boy spoke loudly, confidently, and it made Yugi smile. "Now, who're you?"

"Oh...me? My name is Mutou Yugi. I'm six years old, and...I can't see very well, so no one ever really wants to play with me, or be my friend, and," he didn't know why, but he just couldn't stop himself from opening up to this strange boy, " and I really really like my big brother, even though he doesn't really like me at all..."

He frowned again.

Atem huffed, and Yugi waited.

 _Atem-san must think I'm a real loser. Who else would love someone who hates them so much? And I'm blind, so I can't do everything by myself. He must think I'm a freak, and that's why he's so quiet now..._

"Yugi-chan, I've decided!"

 _Here it comes..._

"Starting today, I'll be your number one best friend! And I won't let no meanie big brothers hurt you anymore!"

 _I knew it, he-_

"What...? Oh- oh no, you don't have to, Atem-san, really, I'm-"

"Nope. We're friends now, and that's not gonna change, no matter what!"

"Demo...Atem-san, I...ahh...arigatou...!"

Suddenly, he wanted to cry. But he felt happy, so why...?

"Yugi-chan daijoubu? Why are you crying?!" The older boy reached over to wipe at his face with the sleeve of his shirt, but Yugi grabbed his wrist gently to stop him.

"Daijoubu, Atem-san. I'm just...I'm so happy! No one's ever wanted to be my friend because I can't see good enough to play as hard as normal kids, so for you to say that...it makes me really happy!"

Atem's grin returned full force as he ruffled Yugi's tri-colored hair.

"Ehee! That's good! You look pretty when you smile, Yugi-chan!"

"Oi, brat, it's time to go!"

Yugi frowned again, and stiffened when Atem pulled him into a hug.

"See you later, Yugi-chan!"

"Y-yeah...till then, Atem-san!"

Yugi pulled away and ran to stand at his brother's side. As they began walking, Yugi looked back and smiled as Atem shot him a large sparkling grin. He turned back, that smile burned into his mind's eye as he followed silently behind Yami.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

That night, Atem lay in bed, restlessly thinking of the boy he'd met.

The small, sad, unloved boy with the pretty purple eyes and the strange hair that looked so much like his own.

The boy named Mutou Yugi.

He said he couldn't see well enough to keep up with other children, but what did that mean? Just how bad was it? Maybe he could ask Seto-nii to look into it tomorrow.

In the meantime, he had to think of what he and Yugi could do together when they saw each other again, and also, how to best keep him from getting hurt again by his hateful big brother.

These plans made him restless, and when he finally managed to fall asleep, they followed him there, too.

"...keep you safe...Yugi-cha..."

 _OooOooOooOooO_

Over the next few weeks, Yugi and Yami settled into a sort of routine. Yami would go to his high school and Akhnamkanon would drive Yugi to the public elementary school. At school, Yugi would just sit and read and ignore Jounouchi's teasing of his height and his love for books, and then he'd meet with his physical and visual therapist for an hour, and play games and put together puzzles, then head back to class. Then Akhnamkanon would pick him up and bring him home, except on Saturdays. On Saturdays, Yami would pick him up- grumbling all the while- and take him to the park, where he'd study while Yugi read in some abandoned area of the playground until Atem showed up. Then he'd still read, but aloud to his friend- because Atem loved listening to him read (he was so much more expressive than even older kids when he read!) and Yugi liked making his friend happy.

And when Yugi wasn't reading to Atem, he was contentedly answering Atem's questions about his life and listening to him talk about his own. Somehow, he wasn't bothered when Atem asked about his eyes, though if anyone else had asked he'd be more reluctant to answer.

"Well...I don't remember the numbers exactly, but all I know is that Ishizu-sensei said one day, I won't be able to see at all."

They were laying under a smaller tree, peering through the branches to look at the clouds.

"That's so scary, Yugi-chan! But you don't sound scared at all..."

Yugi laughed.

"But I am, Atem-san. I'm scared to death that one day I'll just wake up and not be able to see anything. But father says there are things blind people can do to be like people who can see. They can read braille and use canes to get places, and busses, and some even use dogs!"

"Wow! Really? That sounds cool..."

Yugi nodded.

"Yeah, but...if I suddenly couldn't see anymore, I think...I think Yami-nii-sama would hate me even more, and maybe even lose me on purpose while tou-sama's away at work. And...and _that's_ what scares me the most."

Atem rolled over and placed his hand atop Yugi's pale one. The younger boy turned his head and looked at him, and the dark-skinned youth felt his heart break at the worry he saw in his eye (because of course the prosthetic right eye couldn't show any emotion).

"Yugi-chan," he began seriously, conveying love and protection in just those three syllables, " you don't have to be afraid. No matter what, even if we're separated, I promise, I won't ever let anything bad happen to you."

"Do you really mean that?"

"Every word." He moved his other hand so it was hovering above the grass between them and extended his pinky. Yugi did the same with his other hand, interlocking his pinky around his friend's and squeezing as hard as he could. Atem winced slightly and looked to Yugi for an explanation. The boy obliged, but because he felt him wince- he didn't see the look on his face well enough to read it fir what it was.

"Jii-chan told me that the harder you squeeze your pinkies when you make a pinky promise, the harder it'll be to ever break."

"Then, I guess I'll never be able to break my promise to you."

Yugi nodded, a light laugh leaving his lips.

Atem's smile softened and they moved on to talk about more pleasant things.

"Ne, did you know your eye moves when you get distracted?"

"Does it? I've never noticed."

"It does! It just...jiggles! Up and down and everywhere, and it's so weird, but also really neat!"

They laughed again.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

"-Mom would still be here!"

"Mutou Sennen Yami! Don't you dare talk about your brother that way!"

"That _thing_ will _never_ be my brother! _NEVER_!"

A slap.

 _Did father...?_

Heavy footsteps storming past his room.

 _They've never been so violent before..._

Yugi curled up around his overly-large teddy bear- a gift from Ishizu-sensei for being so brave when he got his fake eye put in for the first time- and began softly crying.

 _I wish tou-sama and nii-sama didn't fight so much...I wish nii-sama loved me...I wish..._

 _OooOooOooOooO_

On Yugi's seventh birthday, just four months after meeting Atem, things escalated. Yami and their father had gotten into a fight in public and Atem saw everything and it was over _him_ again and-

Yugi felt miserable, so he allowed Atem to discretely guide him to the swing set.

"Yugi. How long has this been going on?"

The boy was reluctant to answer, but he didn't want his only friend to worry.

"Since...January, I think- but it's never been this bad, and they don't hurt me-"

"What happened to start this one?"

"Well...Tou-sama wants to send me to stay with Jii-chan until he and Nii-sama can be nice to each other again. But...Nii-sama doesn't think tou-sama should have to akmid- ahkha...accromiate-"

"Accommodate?" Atem supplied. Yugi nodded, frowning.

"Yeah, that. Nii-sama doesn't think tou-sama should accommodate everything for me. He always thinks that, though. I wish I knew why he hates me..."

Yugi kicked at the dirt below the swing and swung a little. Atem was silent for a moment before Yugi heard him get off the swing beside him.

"Stay here, Yugi-chan. I have something for you in my bag!"

Obediently, Yugi stayed put as Atem ran off to grab his school bag from one of the benches. He returned, carrying a relatively average-sized golden box, decorated with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

"I was going to give this to you a little later, cause I know you like this sort of stuff, but..." he looked back at Yami and Akhnamkanon, who were still arguing, "...I think it'd be best if I give this to you now, instead. It might cheer you up, and..." he held it out for Yugi to take, " it's your birthday today, right?"

Yugi nodded dumbly. He'd never been given something that felt so special, not even by tou-sama.

"What is it?"

"It's a puzzle. No one's ever solved it, but according to my dad, the box says that whoever solves it will get the power to grant one wish," explained Atem excitedly, "and I just _know_ you'll be able to solve it! And then...then you can wish for anything you want! And, and then you can finally be happy like you deserve!"

Atem sounded so very pleased with himself, and so very sincere, it tore at Yugi's heart. He didn't want to leave this warmth. Not ever.

"Atem...I..."

He couldn't express himself...not like this, anyway. So, throwing caution to the wind, he threw himself around Atem and hugged him tightly.

"I...I'm re-really gonna m-m-miss you...!"

"I know...I'll miss you too, Yugi-chan...so please...be safe till we meet again." His voice cracked.

Yugi nodded against his chest, his small body trembling with sobs.

That night, he left to stay with his grandfather in Metro City.

 _OooOooOooOooO_


	2. Chapter 2

_OooOooOooOooO_

The day after Yugi left, many important things were discussed, but what stuck out the most to Atem was his father's death.

The two were never really close- the Kaiba patriarch (now ex-patriarch) just didn't get close to anyone- but since Atem had beaten him, a world champion, at Chess, the man had taken him under his wing to groom as his heir.

Of course, no one expected his death to be so sudden, or so soon.

Atem wasn't ready for all that responsibility yet. Besides, he cared about his friend more- for now, at least. Was Yugi scared? Worried? What if something happened? He'd have no way of knowing, since they never got the chance to exchange mailing addresses.

The uncertainty was gnawing at him from the inside, so he forced himself to think of something else.

He needed a game, but what kind? Maybe Seto-nii would be willing to play Chess with him. Or he could play Checkers with Mokuba.

He could...

 _OooOooOooOooO_

"Yami."

"You wanted to see me, father?"

"Sit."

Yami sat down in the plush armchair across from his father's desk, silent. He'd only been here a handful of times, so he knew that to be here now, he must've really screwed up today.

Akhnamkanon sighed heavily.

"I wanted to keep this from you, Yami, but it appears I have no choice now."

He slid a leather-bound book across the desk and Yami took it into his hands, not even seeking permission before skimming through it.

"This is..."

"Yes. Your mother's diary."

"But father, why-"

"I am _highly disappointed_ in your actions, Yami. Not just today, but these last six years. And I know your mother would feel the same."

He turned away, an obvious dismissal. Not willing to risk his father's wrath by staying, Yami stood quietly and made to leave. His father's voice made him pause with his hand on the doorknob.

"Yami. Read your mother's diary thoroughly. I hope, then, that you will be able to see the error of your ways."

With a curt nod, Yami exited the office, the door clicking shut behind him.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

 _ **Month 1 Day 1**_

 _I found out today that I'm pregnant again. My dears will be so pleased, I'm sure. I wonder what the baby will be. Hmph. Silly me- it's not like it matters. I love it regardless, and they will, too, no matter what. I'm sure it'll grow up to be great, like its father, and dependable, like its big brother._

Para para.

 _ **Month 1 Day 3**_

 _I told Yami about his new little brother or sister. He was so happy- it was adorable. I asked him which he wanted, and he said to me 'Mama I want a brother to play with, but I also wanna sissy to keep safe'. Oh...my precious son is already growing into a fine young man. I know he'll be the best big brother in the whole wide world!_

Para para pa-

"Yami, I'm going to check on Yugi! Are you coming?"

-thuck.

"Just a moment!"

The book lay closed on Yami's desk. He'd read it front to back and back to front. He had most of the entries memorized, but it was still comforting to read his mother's handwriting, even though he could barely remember her.

But at least he had _some_ memory of her.

Three years...

Yugi would be turning ten today.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

"Hello and welcome to Kame Ga- ah! Mutou-san! It's been a while!"

Akhnamkanon's warm laugh reverberated throughout the small shop.

"Hello again, Seiryuu-san. Has Yugi returned from school yet?"

The albino woman at the counter pouted.

"Moouuu- Mutou-san, I told you- call me Kisara!" She sulked a minute longer before perking back up.

"Anyway, Yugi-chan got back two hours ago and went to work on that puzzle of his, but then he left to get something from school. But..." her tone was worried, "...he should've been back by now..."

"I'm sure he'll be back soon," Akhnamkanon said, trying to be reassuring, "he probably just got caught up with a friend. I'll wait for him outside." He turned back to the door of the shop and then looked at Yami with a raised brow.

"What will you do, Yami?"

The blond shrugged.

"I'll go look for the kid. Metro Primary, right?" He looked back at Kisara for confirmation, and when she nodded, slipped out the door.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

"No! I won't let you hurt my friends!"

"Friends? After everything they did to you? Heh. You sure are weird, Mutou."

"I won't let you hurt them! I'll take the punishment in their place!"

"Are you sure you wanna do that? Fine then. I'm not holding back!"

Dull but heavy thumps reached his ears, akin to hard force against flesh and bone. He waited just a little longer to see if Yugi would fight back, but any hopes of that were dashed as he saw his little brother get slammed against a brick wall.

Enough was enough.

"Oi. Really? Beating up a _blind_ kid _not even a third your size_?" He hissed, his voice soft and menacing. "You're _pathetic_. No one hurts my brother but _me_."

The bully was someone he only vaguely recognized, Ushi-something or other, who ran away from home a while back, according to the news. The boy was probably twelve years of age, give or take a few, but he was already a head taller than Yami and more than twice as wide.

He sneered at him.

"Oh yeah? You wanna go, shrimp?"

Yami slipped off his jacket and tossed it over to Yugi, who looked to be just barely on the brink of consciousness. He glanced over to the two other boys who were leaning on each other, and decided they were of no importance. He shrugged and looked back at the hulking bully across from him. He cracked his knuckles and Yami smirked before quickly running forward and aiming low, for the shins. Ushio jumped back to avoid his swing and kicked out at his knee. Ignoring the pain, Yami grabbed his leg and, using the larger male's weight against him, spun him into the wall- not hard enough to cause any real damage, but enough to hurt.

Ushio got up and the fight continued.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

The Spirit Of the Puzzle waited silently in the darkness. He had no name or form of his own- only the labels given to him by humans. All he knew was loneliness and darkness. The former was something he knew he wasn't meant to be aware of, but he was, and it hurt.

And for so, so very long he'd lived with it- the cold emptiness of the Sennen Puzzle- until a certain day.

He was being carried somewhere, he knew, and the darkness seemed to fluctuate between pitch and ebony, indicating a change in lighting conditions outside of his prison.

And then, there was light.

"I...I'm re-really gonna m-m-miss you...!"

"I know...I'll miss you too, Yugi-chan...so please...be safe till we meet again."

He could _hear_ , and, and! He could feel _warmth_ and _light_!

The Spirit was happy- another feeling he shouldn't have recognized, but did.

But the person holding him- the person with that bright, illuminating soul- was sad. That wasn't right- he should be happy! He had ultimate power in his hands! So...why?

Determined to preserve this light and extinguish its sadness, the spirit peered through the memories of his new master-to-be (that wasn't even a hope, it was a _fact_ as far as he was concerned) and was intrigued. This bright soul- the one they called Mutou Yugi- had gone through much hardship, mostly at the hands of those related to him by blood.

While such a thing was hardly unusual, the spirit had never seen a soul go through that and remain so pure and innocent.

Such a precious and rare thing deserved to be cherished and protected, not put through such emotional abuse by its kin. But for now, the spirit could only wait patiently until the boy- Yugi, his precious Yugi- solved the puzzle.

Time before had been a blur- impossible to distinguish- but as he overheard everything around Yugi, he became aware of the next three years, and just barely managed to keep his sanity as they passed agonizingly slow.

And then, he woke up.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

The room of Yugi's soul was brighter than his own, lit by what would have been moonlight had there been a moon. The door was opened wide, and various toys were scattered here and there on the floor.

An innocent, open, _vulnerable_ soul such as this would need his protection.

The spirit entered the room easily, a dark, formless silhouette, and stood by the bed. It was a simple cot, but he cared more about the young soul sleeping inside it. Gentle appendages combed through his soft tri-colored hair, and idly, the spirit began humming. It was an old song from many millennia ago, but it never failed to sooth him and his shadows.

He stiffened as amethyst eyes opened, fluttering softly, recognizing him but not for what he really was.

"Yami..."

"Yes. If that is what you want me to be, then I am 'Yami'."

Crimson eyes glinted in the moonless moonlight as the spirit's appearance changed to one similar to his master's sibling.

The true Yami was unworthy of such adoration, but if Yugi loved him so much, then the spirit would ensure that Yugi would receive his favor, if not from him then from his likeness.

Not even Yugi's kin would hurt him now.


	3. Chapter 3

_OooOooOooOooO_

After seeing to it that the boys that were with Yugi could make their way back to their own homes, Yami scooped Yugi himself into his arms. The small boy curled up into his chest, latching on to him. He adjusted his jacket over him, almost but not quite wrapping Yugi in it, and began carrying him home. There were bruises and cuts all over his face. His lip was split and his right eye was swollen shut- not that he could see out of it anyway.

"Yami..."

Yami looked down at the boy in his arms, but Yugi was still unconscious. If he were anyone else, he would've found it cute that Yugi called out to him in his sleep, but he was himself, and really didn't care about that one way or the other.

With a sigh, Yami walked up to the game shop and held Yugi closer as their father cast his worried gaze upon him.

"Yami- what happened? You didn't do this, did you? If you did, _Ra help me_ I will-"

"Tou-san. I had no part in it. He would've gotten hurt much worse if I hadn't intervened."

"What do-"

"Aahhh! Yami-san! Yugi-chan! Wh-What happened? Bring him inside!" Kisara ordered firmly, not allowing the father and son to argue in front of the store she was watching after.

Quietly, internally thanking her, Yami breezed passed his father and carried Yugi inside. Though he hadn't been here since jii-chan had first fallen into a coma two years ago, he still remembered the layout well enough to take Yugi into the bathroom- Kisara following- and grab the first aid kit from the shelf behind the mirror.

"Now, what happened when you found him?" Kisara asked as she began wiping at Yugi's injuries.

"He was getting beaten up," Yami began, hearing Akhnamkanon come up the stairs, " though it looked like he was trying to defend two other boys from this kid. Or maybe they were trying to protect him first?" He shrugged.

"In any case, I intervened after Yugi was slammed into a wall. Then I took on the bully myself-I didn't hurt him too bad. Just enough to remind him not to pick on disabled kids not even a fourth his size," he added quickly, as Kisara looked ready to hurt him. Seemingly assured, she returned to disinfecting Yugi's wounds.

"Wouldn't surprise me if he did..." she said softly after a moment.

"Eehhhh maybe. Brutes like that seldom change."

She chuckled.

"I meant Yugi-chan," she said with a smile, "he's always been like that, _at least_ since he came here. He always offered to help with the shop, even though he knew he didn't have to." She started stroking his hair with a fond look in her eyes.

"We knew he was getting picked on- me and Mutou-jii-chan- but we didn't know it was so bad. Mutou-jii never let on that he knew, but I know he did. I asked Yugi-chan why he didn't tell him, and he said 'I can't tell jii-chan about it, or else he'll get worried, and then I'd feel bad'. Such a kind, sweet boy...and he was always talking about you, Yami-san." She gave him a pointed look and he raised a brow.

"Me?"

She nodded, her mouth set in a thin line.

"Yes. He only ever spoke good about you- how cool and mature you were, and how he really, really loved you just _because_ you're his brother. I can't imagine why though. He knew even back then that you disliked him," she finished with a bitter tone. "But he never hated you. Never."

Yami looked down, feeling something in his chest twitch. He steeled his gaze.

"...he should hate me, though."

He stood and exited the room, once again brushing passed his father, who'd been silently listening from the doorway.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

Yugi woke up early the next morning, sore and tired, but not as much as he'd expected. Ushio wasn't holding back, and he distinctly remembered the pain of each kick to his body.

Haha. He didn't even have to use his hands. How funny was his height.

Dimly, he remembered the fragments of a dream- moonlight, fingers combing lovingly through his hair, and a face that looked like someone he deeply cared for. But different.

 _Yami's face...right? No...that person...his eyes were bright red. And...I could_ see _that...his teeth were sharper, too. He seemed so real, and yet, I could see his features clearly...was it a dream?_

He shook his head.

 _Never mind. It's Sunday. I should check on jii-chan._

He opened his eyes and hissed at the bright lighting of his room. He quickly closed them again.

"Ah! Yugi-chan! You're awake! Thank goodness...we were really worried when Yami carried you home."

Hm?

"Nii-sama...carried me? Wait- he's here?"

He could hear Kisara-chan's smile as she answered, "Yes. He saved you from quite the beating and then carried you home- he even had you bundled up in his gakuran jacket."

"Oh...I see...I should go and thank him, then..." Without opening his eyes, Yugi sat up with a soft grunt and swung his legs out of bed. It hurt, but not enough to stop him. He could feel Kisara hovering nearby, ready to support him as she had jii-chan two years ago, but he was able to stand up and make his way to the door on his own. He had a mental map of his bedroom due to all the time spent there.

"Careful-I'll help you downstairs."

Kisara took his arm gently and led him to the stairway. It wasn't as bright from here down, so Yugi felt fine opening his eyes, though it hurt to put pressure on his ankles as he walked down the wooden stairs. He bore it silently, though his shoulders tensed up every now and then, and soon they were downstairs.

Akhnamkanon and Yami were already in the living area- which was really just a small alcove separated from the main area of the shop by a swinging arm at the end of the counter. There was a tense silence between them, but not as tense as what Yugi remembered seeing between them when he first left Domino.

"Yugi. You're awake. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling alright, tou-sama. A little sore, but otherwise okay. Thank you for asking. And," he turned towards Yami's figure, "Nii-sama...thank you so much for what you did yesterday! I'm really sorry you had to go through all that trouble for my sake!"

Yami hmphed and Akhnamkanon lightly kicked his shin. The teen turned to look at Yugi, his majorelle blue eyes hard-but not cold, Yugi noted- and his voice simultaneously soft and callous.

"If you're truly sorry, then learn to defend yourself."

Yugi nodded his head firmly.

"Hai. I will."

"Yes, you will, but not yet," Kisara interrupted, getting between them and bending down to Yugi's height, "I need to check for a concussion, so hold still."

She shone a light into his eye, noting the dilation of his pupils and the prominent wince. She was hardly a nurse- in fact she was a DL assistant for the elderly- but she knew enough to recognize a concussion.

She nodded her head, her mouth a grim line.

"Mhm. Yugi-chan's concussed. It probably would've been worse though if whatever entity healed him overnight hadn't shown up."

Yugi blinked. "Entity?"

"Well of course," said Kisara with a grin, "Your injuries were really bad when Yami-san brought you home, so for them to have healed so much so quickly, I don't doubt some sort of cosmic power was involved."

"Oh...I see...I wonder if my puzzle has something to do with it..." he muttered curiously.

"Puzzle? You mean," began Akhnamkanon, " you solved it? You solved the Millennium Puzzle?"

Yugi nodded, allowing a prideful smile to grace his face.

"What did you wish for?"

Yugi hesitated.

 _Should I tell him..? It sounds like a really childish wish now..._

 _ **Why is that a bad thing? Surely your father would appreciate such an innocent and humble wish.**_

The voice in his head wasn't one he could consciously recognize, but it was comforting all the same. Perhaps he'd dwell more on it later- but not when tou-san and Kisara-chan were waiting so patiently for an answer.

"I wished..for friends- true friends who wouldn't let me down, and that I also wouldn't be able to let down."

Kisara ruffled his hair affectionately. "That's just the sort of thing I'd expect from you, Yugi-chan!"

"Indeed. Such an innocent request will surely be granted," said Akhnamkanon proudly, "now, head back up to your room and rest up. I won't have my boy wandering around with a concussion."

The blond nodded his head and turned back to the stairway. "Hai."

As he walked back up, using the wall for support, he heard his father call up, "I'll have Seiryuu-san bring something for you to eat later!"

"Ha~ai!"

 _OooOooOooOooO_

The spirit, still nameless and content to remain that way until Yugi-ue gave him a name, watched as said master flopped down onto the bed in the small attic room. The endearing sight of his master, so tired and small and bright, made him smile, a content sound leaving his lips soon after. His master stiffened, and the ancient spirit decided to reveal himself.

"You are...!"

"Yes. I am the spirit of the Sennen Puzzle, and as you have solved the puzzle and freed me from my prison, I am bound to serve you, Mutou Yugi-ue."

His poor handicapped master took a moment to process this, and then his face took on a curious expression.

"Is something ailing you, master? I have healed the worst of your injuries, but could I have neglected something?"

"No, no, it's not that- I'm perfectly fine. It's just..." he seemed to struggle with his thoughts, so the spirit patiently waited.

"What should I call you? Just 'spirit' or 'servant' would be rude..."

"I am Yugi-ue's servant, so you may refer to me as you wish."

"I see..."

Yugi bowed his head, thinking. The spirit could've peered into his mind to understand his thoughts, but this was a matter he felt would be best left private. After a few moments, Yugi spoke.

"Then I'll call you...Pharaoh."

Pharaoh? How curious.

"Master would name a spirit as humble as I after ancient kings of old? I am...honored, to be held in such regard. Truly, Yugi-ue is a kind master."

Yugi shook his head, a fond smile on his face.

"No, no. Don't call me that. I'm no 'master'. As soon as I solved that puzzle, you became my friend. That means we're equals, so you can come up with a name you can call me, too."

The spirit, now named Pharaoh, hummed.

"As you wish mas- Yugi. I shall take my leave, and inform you when I have found something suitable."

Yugi nodded his consent and Pharaoh faded away, returning to his own soul room. It was dark and empty save for an undecorated stone throne. Maybe one day it would become less empty, when he remembered what he was missing, but that day was not today.

And that was fine.


	4. Chapter 4

_OooOooOooOooO_

 _ **Aibou...Aibou, wake up.**_

Hm? When had he fallen asleep? What time was it?

 _ **The sun is high.**_

Midday then. That meant he'd only been out a few hours, at most. Good.

Speaking of good things, what was that smell? Kisara's cooking? No, there was more pepper. But not enough to be tou-sama's cooking either. So who made it? Unless...but no. _He_ would never do that for him.

Or maybe he did? Yami _had_ rescued him yesterday, apparently.

Only one way to find out.

Yugi opened his eyes slowly, prepared for the pain of the lighting of his room, but there was nothing. He sat up and looked around, but there was only Pharaoh. He thought he saw a flash of familiar dark red in the doorway, but dismissed it. He often saw things that weren't there.

Next, he turned his attention to the plate on his bedside table. On it was a simple hamburger, moderately sprinkled over with ground black pepper. Yugi picked it up, mindful of the black flecks of pepper, and took a bite. The burger was warm and different than what he was used to, but delicious nonetheless.

He quickly scarfed it down and swung his legs out over the side of his bed. He still had to check on jii-chan. Maybe now that he'd solved the puzzle, his condition would improve as well!

Pharaoh watched him silently, taking pleasure in his young mast- _partner's_ \- joyous expression as he followed him out the door.

Yugi walked down the hallway and to his grandfather's room, where he'd been sleeping hooked up to various machines for the last two years. The old man looked especially frail with all those tubes connected to him, but Yugi had grown used to it.

"Good morning, jii-chan," he greeted softly, taking a seat at the chair beside the bed.

"I'm sorry I couldn't check on you earlier. Things have been pretty busy lately." He sighed.

"Kisara-chan's still looking after the shop, and...I finally solved the Millennium Puzzle. The stories were true," he smiled, "there really _is_ a spirit inside it. He's very formal, but also very kind. He looks a lot like Yami-nii-sama, too."

He looked down and frowned. Pharaoh caught bits and pieces of memories featuring a smiling old man.

"I think...I'd really like it if you could wake up soon, jii-chan..."

For just a moment, Yugi felt hopeless, and in that small moment, the spirit behind him saw the light- that precious, _precious_ light that was his soul- begin to flicker before it glowed bright again. And then, in that moment, and a little into the next, the spirit came to an abrupt and halting realization.

Physical ailments he could fix, but if ever there came a time where Yugi lost hope for good, he could never fix that.

For that reason, he absolutely could not- _would not-_ let Yugi's light falter.

Yugi felt a twitch beneath his hand. Then he heard a light, faint intake of breath. And then, for the first time in what felt like forever, he dared look at his grandfather's face, and saw a pair of amethyst eyes identical to his own.

His breath hitched.

"J...Jii-chan...?"

The old man's eyes shifted towards him, recognizing. Alert. Aware. _Awake_.

The boy's hands were trembling, and he wanted to cry. God, please don't let this be a lucid dream! A shaking and wrinkled hand turned so it was clasping his own. It felt warm.

Yugi felt happy- so happy, so relieved, and so tired. But he had to tell them...tou-sama and Kisara-chan would be _overjoyed_!

Quickly, he gently removed his grandfather's hand from his own and darted out the room.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

"Tou-sama! Come quick! It's Jii-chan!"

"Yugi? What's wrong? What happened?"

"Come see- hurry!" Yugi tugged on his father's arm till he got up, then he led him upstairs and into his grandfather's bedroom.

"What happened, son? Why are you suddenly so..."

Akhnamkanon trailed off as he was dragged to the doorway of his father's bedroom. His brown eyes took in the old man in his bed, disbelieving. A small part of him was sure this was just a dream, or else Yami had 'accidentally' spiked his food with hallucinogens. And yet...

"F...father...? You are..."

"Good morning, my son. And Yugi-kun, also." His voice was as jolly and kind as ever, as if he'd just woken up from a nap instead of a coma.

"I'm sorry I was asleep for so long. The truth is, I got so caught up in my dreams, I didn't know how to get back," said Sugoroku to a still-incredulous Akhnamkanon, " until a mysterious young boy came to me and guided me back to the waking world. He was very kind, indeed," he continued, shifting his focus to his awestruck grandson, "and he looked very much like you, Yugi-kun. Though maybe it'd be more accurate to say this; he looked very similar to _Yami-kun_. Very strange..."

"It must've been Pharaoh!" Yugi exclaimed, realizing.

Akhnamkanon turned to him.

"Son? Who is this 'Pharaoh'?"

The boy looked down, an embarrassed blush tinging his cheeks.

"Pharaoh is...the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle."

Now it was Sugoroku's turn to look shocked.

"The Millennium Puzzle!? Then, that means you've solved it, Yugi-kun! Now, tell your old grandfather what you wished for- I can already see you didn't wish to get any taller!"

Yugi's blush darkened a little, and he began twiddling his thumbs. Even though Tou-sama, Yami-nii-sama, and Kisara-chan knew about his wish now, it was still embarrassing to think of revealing it to his grandfather. Once again, the spirit of the puzzle sent him a bit of confidence, mixed in with smug satisfaction.

"I wished for friends- true friends who wouldn't betray me, and whom I would never betray."

Now there was only pride. Pharaoh was proud- of him? Yugi didn't understand, but such musing was best left for later.

His grandfather wore a knowing smile, as if he'd expected this turn of events.

"I always knew you'd solve it one day," he said at length, " and I knew also that when you did solve it, you'd wish for something innocent and light. What a lucky man I am, to have such a kind grandchild..."

Suddenly Yugi felt tired again, as the day's events caught up to him and he was forced to realize just how emotionally drained he was. Now, how to escape without seeming rude...

Thankfully for him, Akhnamkanon noticed his son's predicament and came to the rescue.

"Father, it's been a long day- especially for Yugi-kun. You wouldn't mind if he rested up in his room a little longer, would you?"

"Oh no, of course not! Yugi-kun, scoot on up to bed now and I'll have Kisara-chan get you when it's time for dinner!"

"Hai..." Yugi said tiredly. As he started to walk away, his father put a hand on his shoulder.

"And son," he said, "you don't need to worry about your homework tonight if you don't feel up to it. I'll phone the school and tell your teachers what happened. They'll understand." Yugi gave Akhnamkanon a grateful- albeit a little tired- smile.

"Arigatou, Tou-sama."

The man gave his son's shoulder a gentle pat.

"Now, go on and rest."

Yugi nodded, too tired now to really speak much, and walked up to his room.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

Like before, the spirit watched as Yugi collapsed onto his bed with a yawn. Once he was laying down and covered up, he opened his mouth to speak. Pharaoh put up a finger, a polite wish for his master's silence, and spoke up instead.

"Hush and sleep, aibou, and if it pleases you, I can visit you in your dreams and answer your questions there, or else wait till you wake. Your sire is right- it has been a long day for you, despite having only been an hour or so, and with your mind as exhausted as it is, you won't be able to understand my answers to your questions."

He moved so he was right beside Yugi and knelt down so his blond bangs just barely brushed the boy's forehead. Yugi closed his eyes and breathed in through his nose, smelling some sort of exotic and flowery perfume- or, what he assumed to be perfume- mixed with a musty sort of scent which could only be described as 'that old book smell'. It was calming to his senses.

"Now, sleep, my partner, and I shall answer your questions shortly."

Yugi was asleep before Pharaoh got halfway through the sentence.

The spirit smiled fondly down at his relaxed sleeping face and gently entered his mind.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

Like before, Yugi's soul room was bright and open, with a few toys scattered here and there. There was a desk with a stack of stationary atop it and many colorful pens and pencils, displaying that Yugi was both a creative and logical thinker ( though more so creative), and a simple grey vase containing a few poppies. The spirit wondered how he'd missed these the last time he was here, but didn't dwell on it.

Yugi was already sitting up in his cot, his glasses absent and a patient smile on his face, silently allowing Pharaoh to take all the time he needed to familiarize himself with his soul.

Oh such an innocently naïve master Yugi was.

Maybe he'd take that offer up some other time, but not tonight.

"You wish to ask something of me," he stated simply, patient. Yugi nodded and jumped right in.

"Yes, I do. Firstly, why have you chosen to call me 'Aibou'?"

"Do you dislike it?"

He shook his head quickly.

"Oh not at all- I like it simply because you chose it. I'm just curious."

The spirit hummed and took a few moments to form a satisfactory answer.

"The ancient Egyptians believed no one was higher than the Pharaoh, so for you, my master, to name me such, meant that, according to these beliefs, I would have no master- no one to serve. However, it is the will of the gods themselves that you be my master, and so I was forced to compromise, and declare you as my partner instead. I thought using your tongue would be a nice touch- after all, _Aibou_ sounds more pleasant than _Sharik_."

"I see..."

"But you have more questions, do you not?"

Yugi nodded his head.

"Why did you help my grandfather wake up?"

"Do you dislike that I did?" Pharaoh countered. Yugi shook his head.

"Not at all. I'm very glad that you did."

The spirit hummed knowingly.

"And that, Aibou, is exactly why I did it. If your light were to fade," he drew closer so that he was looking into Yugi's eyes, his own crimson orbs gleaming.

"If your light were to fade, I could never bring it back, and that is something I will never allow."


End file.
